Childhood maltreatment is associated with a wide range of problems that are correlated with both childhood maltreatment and alcoholism among males. After partialing the effects of parenting and parental psychopathology the childhood maltreatment–alcoholism association was dramatically reduced. Taken together, these findings are consistent with results from the co-twin control and bivariate twin models, and reflect a shared environmental vulnerability that co-occurs in families of males who experience childhood maltreatment. Given the evidence that the childhood maltreatment–alcoholism association is consistent with an indirect effect, preventive measures and interventions that target environmental vulnerabilities associated with childhood maltreatment may be effective in reducing alcoholism risk.
